Asos billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen loses three of his four children in Sri Lanka attacks

Anders Holch Povlsen has lost three of his four children in the Sri Lanka attacks - Ritzau Scanpix

The billionaire fashion tycoon behind online clothing retailer Asos lost three of his four children in the Sri Lanka terror attacks.

Anders Holch Povlsen, 46, is Denmark's wealthiest man and the UK's largest private landowner after buying up 13 estates in Scotland.

Three days before the attacks, Mr Povlsen's daughter Alma shared an Instagram photo of her siblings Astrid, Agnes and Alfred - calling them "three little bears" - in front of a swimming pool lined by palm trees.

The billionaire and his wife Anne, who keep a low public profile, have not said which of their three children died in the attack.

The businessman is not the only Briton to lose relatives to the terror attacks that struck multiple churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday.

Ben Nicholson, 43, a Singapore-based lawyer, lost his wife, Anita, 42, son Alex, 11, and youngest daughter, Annabel, were killed when an explosion rocked the luxury five-star Shangri La hotel where they were staying on holiday.

Tony Bent, 46, of Basildon, Essex, grew up with Mr Nicholson, and played squash with him at county level. “I just really feel for him,” he told The Telegraph yesterday. “He was always a really nice bloke and had a really nice, warm family.”

Mr Povlsen set out his ambitions for the 220,000 acres he owns north of the Border, but said he would not live to see the conclusion of his "re-wilding" project.

It is unknown which of the series of blasts killed them or who else from the tycoon's family was in Sri Lanka.

According to Forbes, Mr Povlsen has a net worth of £6.1 billion. He has spent more than £100 million buying up a dozen estates, including Glenfeshie in the Cairngorms, which he described in last week's open letter as home.

He wrote: "Both Anne and myself, our children and our parents too, have long enjoyed a deep connection with this magnificent landscape."

Referring to his rewilding project, he said that "we know cannot be realised in our lifetime, which will bear fruit not just for our own children but also for the generations of visitors who, like us, hold a deep affection the Scottish Highlands."